Drop-in water station



July 7, 1965 P. DE LORENZO DROP-IN WATER STATION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 28, 1963 INVENTOR.

P404 0.5 AOPf/VZO July 27, 1965 P. DE LORENZO DROP-IN WATER STATION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 28, 1963 INVENTOR.

P1404 06' ACRE/V20 ATTO NEYS United States Patent 3,196,466 DROP-1N WATER STATIQN Paul De Lorenzo, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Delfield Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Jan. 28, 1953, Ser. No. 254,343 1 Uaim. (Cl. 4187) This invention relates to an improved water cabinet installation, and more particularly to a novel water cabinet which may be installed in a structure therefor in a minimum amount of time without requiring special tools or excessive labor as utilized in prior art constructions.

The prior art illustrates various types of water cabinets for restaurant equipment. It has been found that it is =very-diflicult to install the water cabinets in counters due to space limitations. Generally, it takes a mechanic between 45 minutes to two hours to install a single water cabinet, depending on the particular fastening devices utilized .and the amount of space available. Generally nuts and bolts are utilized to secure the water cabinet in place in the counter. In addition, a separate gasket had to be installed around the top edges of the watleir cabinet to prevent leakage. The present invention has overcome the installation problem by providing a water cabinet or station which may be dropped or readily inserted in an opening provided in the counter and retained therein in a relatively fixed position by means of springlike resilient retainer clips provided on the water cabinet which engage elongated elements carried by the counter surrounding the opening. The water cabinet is provided with an annular rim which provides an effective seal when installed in the counter.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a water cabinet for a restaurant counter which is easily installed in the counter in a relatively short period of time.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wa ter cabinet having an annular laterally extending support rim at the upper edge thereof, and upwardly opening spring-like resilient retainer clips on the side walls of the cabinet below the rim.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a water cabinet installation comprising a support or counter having an opening therein, retainer means carried by the support and surrounding the opening, a water cabinet received in the opening and having an annular support rim on the upper edge thereof which is in sealing contact with the support, and a plurality of spring-like resilient retainer clips on the side walls of the cabinet which are compressed by the retainer means upon insertion of the cabinet in the opening for holding the cabinet in a fixed position with respect to the support.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel water cabinet which may be easily installed by applying relatively light hand pressure thereto without requiring any loose fastening parts such as bolts or screws and the like.

It is thus another object of this invention to provide a simplified low-cost structure of the aforementioned type having certain advantages contributing to efiiciency, reliability, and long life as well as ease of maintenance.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of the present invent-ion is clearly shown.

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the water cabinet as installed in a counter.

'FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the water cabinet as installed.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the water cabinet prior to insertion in a counter.

3,196,466 Patented July 27, 1965 FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 2 and illustrating the water cabinet in a fixed position in the opening of the counter.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 4, but illustrating the water cabinet partially inserted in the opening provided in the counter.

Referring now to the drawings, the water cabinet installation is designated by the numeral 10 and includes a restaurant counter 12 having a substantially horizontal support surface 13 and a water station or cabinet 14 made from metal. A substantially rectangular opening 1 6 is provided in the horizontal support surface 13 so as to expose the interior of the counter 12. The corners of the opening 16 are curved on a radius to facilitate the insertion of the water cabinet 1'4.- The counter 12 may be made from wood or other suitable material, with a water resistant coating or relatively hard surface '18 provided on the top thereof to protect the counter top and provide a decorative appearance.

Each of the four side walls surrounding and defining the rectangular opening 16 is provided with an elongated element or strip 20 which may take the form of galvanized metal. Each element 20 extends substantially the entire length of the corresponding wall and has the upper portion 22 thereof in surface-to-surface contact with the corresponding wall. The upper portions 22 of the elements 20 are secured to the walls defining opening 16 by a plurality of longitudinally spaced nails or other fastening means 24. The lower portion 26 of each elongated element 20 is offset inwardly towards the center line of the opening 16, with the bottom edge 28 thereof extending below the bottom surface 30 of the support surface 13 as best illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5.

The metallic water box or cabinet 14 is of substantially rectangular configuration and is provided at the upper edges thereof with an annular laterally extending support rim 32 which is adapted to support the water cabinet .14 in the opening 16 and in addition to provide an effective seal around the periphery of the cabinet 14 at the points of engagement with the support surface 13 to prevent leakage of water into the interior of the counter 12.

Each side wall 34 of the cabinet 14 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced spring-like resilient retainer clips or fingers 36 which open upwardly towards the sealing and support rim 32. The lower portion 33 of each clip 36 is secured to the corresponding side wall '34 by spot welding or by other suitable means. The remaining portion of each clip 36 is laterally offset from the plane of the corresponding side wall 34 and includes an outwardly extending intermediate portion 40 having at the upper edge 41 thereof an upper portion 42 which is offset inwardly from the plane of the intermediate portion 40. The intermediate portion 40 and upper portion 42 are integrally connected by a downwardly and outwardly extending connecting portion 43.

Prior to the insertion of the water box 14 in the counter 12, the clips 36 are in the expanded position illustrated in FIGURE 5. After the galvanized strips 20 have been secured in place surrounding the opening 16, the Water cabinet 14 is placed in the opening 16 and a downwardly directed force is applied by hand to the top of the water cabinet 14 such that the spring-like clips 36 are urged inwardly from the expanded position illustrated in FIGURE 5 to the contracted or compressed position illustrated in FIGURE 4 where the lower portions or arms 26 provided on the elements 20 engage the connecting portions 43 of the retainer clips 36 and hold the clips in a contracted position. The clips 36 when compressed in the manner just described hold the water cabinet 14 against displacement.

The water cabinet 14 is connected to suitable plumbing fixtures as is well known in the art; The interior, t} ofv the Water cabinet'14 may be connected to suitable hot and v lower portion of each element being inclined downwardly and inwardly away from the corresponding wall to provide a retainer, the terminal lower edge of said retainer terminating below the lower surface of said supporting end'of said water cabinet and located outside said sides counter, and a plurality of separately formed and attached resilient spring retaining fingers carried by each sideand and ends at all times, said retaining fingers including at tachment leg portions fixedly secured to said water 16 in the counter top. As an example, the opening may be 19% inches by 19% inches, with the corners each hav:

ing approximately a %1 inch radius. r The galvanized strips 20 are then secured to the foursides-surrounding the open-v a ing 16 with the top edges of the stripsf20 flush with the counter top. The drop-in Water station or cabinet 14 may be, as an example, 18% inches-by 18% inches, with the rim 32 provided thereon being 20% inches by 29 /4 cabinet, said retaining fingers also-including elongated resilient flexingportions extending upwardly from said at- .tachment leg portions, each flexing portion having a straight flat pilot section integralat its lower end with said attachment leg portion and in the free state of said flex- :ing portion extending upwardly and laterally outwardly at an acute angle to the vertical, each flexing portion also inches. The water cabinet 14, as an example, has a height 1 of approximately 13 inches. The Water station or cabinet 14 is pressed downwardly into position until the springlike clips 36 snap and act as a retainer against the'gal vanized strips or elements 20 so as to provide an inter locking connection there-between. a

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved dro'p-in waterstation in having a straight flatretainiug section extendingupwardly and laterally inwardly from the upper end'of said pilot section and a manually operable flat straight section extending upwardly from the upper end of said retaining sectionparallel to said pilot section,. the upper end of said manually operable section defining the upper extremity of said flexing' portion and in the free state of said flexing portionterminating in closely spaced relation to'and beneath said outer marginal portion of said supportingf flange, said pilot sections engaging in sequence such fullfclear, concise, and exactterms as to enable'xany person skilled in the art to'practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by'the" appended claim. What I claim as my 'inventionisz A' water cabinet installation comprising .a supporting counterhaving a rectangular opening defined by periph-j eral walls, a rectangular water cabinet having generally vertical sides and endstelescoped in said opening and;

provided at its upper end with anoutwardly extending supporting flange projecting beyond saidsides and ends having an outer marginal portion resting upon theupper surface of said supporting counter'about said opening,

said peripheral walls being provided with relatively thin elongated elements each of which extends approximately the entire length of the corresponding wall, each of said elements including upper and lower portions, said'upper portion forming a base which is in surface to surface contact with=and fixedlysecured to the corresponding wall, theupper edge of said base being substantially flush withthe upper surface of said supporting counter, the

said upper edges of said bases and said terminal lower edges of said retainers to cam saidflexing portions laterallyfinwardly' upon downward installation of said cabinet,- said manually operable sections beingadapted to be pressed laterally inwardly by'hand to facilitate the downward installation of said cabinet, said retaining-sections engaging under'the lower edges of said retainers in the installed'position of said cabinet to maintain said outer marginal portion in tight sealing engagement with the upper surface of said counter. I

' References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,885,691 rs/s9 Juergens 4-1s7 ,2 ,992,31s 7/61 McDonald .4 1s7 3,126,552 3164 Scharmer 4 1s7 LEWIS J. LENNY, .Primary Examiner.

. EDWARD V- BENHAM, Examiner. 

